Filmmaker Timothy Linh Bui first returned to his homeland to rediscover his roots.

Like many Vietnamese-Americans, he fled the nation at a young age with his family after the Communists conquered South Vietnam in 1975. Now Vietnam is a cinematic canvas for Bui, who grew up in Sunnyvale.

Bui, 42, who directed and wrote 2001's "Green Dragon," a drama starring the late Patrick Swayze, Forest Whitaker and the late Duong Don about the first wave of Vietnamese refugees to come to the United States, has now worked on three movies in the Southeast Asian country, including 1999's "Three Seasons." He co-wrote and produced the poetic film with intertwining tales about urban Vietnam becoming Westernized starring Harvey Keitel as a former U.S. soldier searching for his daughter. The movie won three Sundance film awards, including the Grand Jury Prize. He is now producing a romantic comedy in Vietnam.

Q: What drew you back to Vietnam?

A: In the beginning it was the need to understand my culture and family. My mother had been back several times dating back to 1989 or so and she would return with these stories and pictures. But it wasn't until I returned in 1995 to make "Yellow Lotus" with my brother, Tony, that I was moved by the people and the country. That experience left a special feeling in my heart.

Q: Overseas Vietnamese, also known as Viet Kieu, are involved with at least 50 percent of the films being made in Vietnam now. Does this surprise you?

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A: I'm shocked that there are so many Viet Kieu filmmakers today. When I started with "Three Seasons," I didn't know any other Vietnamese-American filmmakers in the industry or in film school. Today, I feel the choice to follow this path (to make movies in the country they once fled) is less taboo, so you see more. And as Viet Kieu filmmakers, we bring a different and unique perspective and sensibility that seems to work well with the local audiences (in Vietnam).

The good thing about this influx is that it breeds competition; therefore, the quality of the films in Vietnam has been elevated tremendously in the past decade. Vietnam is the new frontier for cinema. The opportunity to make films in Vietnam is wide open. Even though there are budget limitations, there is a growing need for storytellers.

Q: What impact are Vietnamese-American filmmakers having in Vietnam? Are they bringing expertise in technical areas?

A: The Viet Kieu filmmakers are definitely bringing back technical expertise due to either the education they have received in film school or by working on U.S. productions with very talented crew and top equipment. This knowledge definitely helps to raise the bar of local productions. With more state-of-the-art theaters being built, there is more demand for films to be produced each year. The Vietnam industry today needs Viet Kieu filmmakers to continue to push the industry forward as much as Viet Kieu filmmakers need Vietnam for the opportunity and platform to tell their stories. The one thing (challenging) for Viet Kieu filmmakers making films in Vietnam is finding the balance of the Western sensibilities and delivering a product suitable for local tastes.

Q: You first returned to Vietnam to make a movie, "Yellow Lotus," in 1995. How has the film scene there changed?

A: Back then the film industry in Vietnam was nonexistent, producing roughly a dozen feature films a year using archaic equipment from Russia. They were mostly state-financed with no modern theaters to showcase them. I remember going to the first digital projection theater that was showing American films on DVD. That was huge during that time -- the first of its kind in the city with digital sound. Today, there are dozens of state-of-the-art theaters in Ho Chi Minh City, including 3-D theaters.

Q: Do you see opportunities for making films in Vietnam that are then released internationally?

A: I believe so. I've been talking with a few Viet Kieu filmmakers about this -- making a film that not only suits the local market but is strong enough in all aspects to find international distribution. It's a much harder endeavor but it can definitely be done. Why can't a film like "District 9" be made in Vietnam? My goal is to set up some co-productions between Vietnam and the U.S.

Coming next Saturday: An interview with Vietnamese-American actor Dustin Nguyen, who starred with Johnny Depp in the 1980s TV hit “21 Jump Street" and is now a major force in Vietnam's film industry.